Tough Guy

It has been a tough week in the Vitale House. Gavin had his tonsils and adenoids removed on Monday at Children's Hospital in Pittsburgh. While it is a routine surgery and we all either have gone through it (neither Pete nor I) and know someone that has, it is a painful one. We decided to do this for Gavin as a result of on going, chronic ear infections. He has had two sets of ear tubes (one set at 7 months, the second set at 2 yrs and 2 months). Believe it or not the second set has stayed in for awhile. Even so, we ended up with another round of ear infections in January/February 09. He had a few mystery fevers last year and his ENT (Ear Nose and Throat) doctor, Dr. Gottlieb, suggested that this was most likely tonsillitis due to the enormity of their size. Gavin's tonsils were about the size of ping-pong balls. He shouldn't have been able to look in the mirror and see his own, but he could. Adenoids were enlarged and most likely contributing to poor ear drainage and infections. Couple that with a 5 year old that can wake you up with snoring through the wall and our suspicions of sleep apnea like Daddy - time to do it.

Pete and I took Gavin on Monday and before surgery he enjoyed the pre-op playroom. He was funny trying out ride on toys that were too big for his long legs (46" tall). It was a great distraction while we waited for surgery. I love his smiley face in this picture and when I took it (with my phone- poor quality), I was sad to think about how down and out he would be for the next week or so.

Gavin's surgery went very well. We had discussed the process and answered his questions for about two weeks. He was fine going in due to the dose of Versed he was given as a sedative. Pete dressed in his jump suit and went in to OR with him for "induction". Pete was there until Gavin fell asleep from the laughing gas. Waking up is never good. He did not know where he was or what was going on. It took Pete and I a little while to calm him down as he realized that his tonsils were gone. He had a rough day. He ended up getting pretty sick from anesthesia. In our attempts to wait it out and see if he would get sick again, he took a snooze in the chair (fell asleep watching bad TV).

We seems to be turning it around now (Thursday) that we have reached the third day post-op. His low grade fever is gone and that has allowed his to feel better. He is talking more but trying not to move much. He is not thrilled about his pain meds but more tolerant and he started to eat yogurt and cereal again so that is an excellent sign.

Daddy and Gavin are trying out the new Wii system this week so that has Gavin up and moving from time to time. More to come on that subject...

What game do we play? The biker game!

Some families play games in the car, some sing, others - who knows! We could play "count the red cars" and compete against your brother counting blue cars. We could play the alphabet game, cow game or one of Pete's favs is the outhouse game...but Pete started a tradition last summer. It was born out of motorcycle awareness and talking to the kids about watching for bikers and safety. It all my sound educational, responsible or even innocent. NO!

It has become a cut-throat game in the car and and now that spring, or at least warmer weather, has returned, it is on! Gavin and Nora argue over which one finds/spots the biker first. They are calling out parked bikes and now Gavin tells Nora she only claimed one and takes the rest out a group. Gavin counts out loud to claim multiple bikes in a sighting. Nora ends up crying sometimes when she just can't speed up her words. I do have to say that she is more aware than Gavin and quicker to remember the first time for a sighting-of course that makes Gavin mad. Sibling rivalry at its finest.

So, a few weeks ago, Nora was pouting after school with Daddy driving home. Enthusiastically, Pete asks, "What game do we play?" [Nora stares at him over the rim of her glasses in the rear view mirror]. "The biker game!", he cries. She is hooked on the game and the phrase. She now proclaims as she steps up to bike in the driveway..."What game do we play? The biker game!".

We all scream for ice cream

Saturday night was beautiful and Grandma and Grandpa took us out for ice cream after dinner. The big kids enjoyed scoops of chocolate and Nora had to make sure her cup was EMPTY! You wouldn't want to leave any behind. I think that she could have handled a double scoop. Nora had actually required a bath after the car washing, trip to the park and playing in the sandbox morning and before her nap. She was all summery in her pretty tank top and gauchos.
Gavin was methodical and deliberate in enjoying his ice cream. He too drank the melted ice cream out of the bottom of his cup!

Dylan got a free baby ice cream cone. I helped him with the top of the cone (ice cream on a spoon) but handed it over once the ice cream was almost down to the cone. It was like he had done this before. No major mess, eat the whole cone a bite at a time. Can my love of ice cream and ability to skillfully eat it in any form be genetically imprinted in my DNA and passed on to my children? I have to think that is possible based on knowing my Dad!

Spring Has Sprung!

Last weekend was awesome weather. We played out, washed cars (Daddy put them to work to earn allowance "moneys"), we went to the park, enjoyed ice cream, rode bikes, you name it. It was really fun to be back outside and to continue to let Dylan do his thing. He is enjoying the freedom, the room to run and to start playing with new things. He mastered his foot push fire truck and can go forward too. He loves the bubble mower and was "shopping" with the shopping cart for awhile. He just gets right in there with the big kids. Car wash time was interesting as usual. Gavin loves to have control of the hose but this year Nora is big enough to not only get spray (and love it) but be the sprayer. She was loving the power....

Dylan was far from afraid of the water and was pretty wet in the end. He seems to actually chase the water from the hose when we were all done. It will be a wet summer if Nora and Dylan have anything to say about it.

The park was awesome. Dylan's second trip as a big boy. He is starting to really like and it has even more room than at home so that is very cool. It must seem like a really big place to him. I can't imagine. Swings are high on his list as well as sliding.

Gavin is getting more daring and sneaking in the head first slides whenever possible and at least going down on his belly feet first. He learned to swing on the big swings like Superman and has been loving that. Poor guy doesn't even know his own strength or speed - ran over to the swings, jumped on the swing seat on his belly went flying up into the air but didn't really hold on and proceeded to flip over and drag his head through the mulch. Not good. It scared him pretty bad. He cried and Nora asked if she could try it.